1. Smash, crush or cut it, and then let it sit for 15 minutes or so before using it. That will allow the enzyme allinase to convert the compound allin to its active form, allicin, which fights cancer, Modem says.

“ Finely sliced garlic should be stable for a few (4-6) hours at room temperature,” she adds, and 2-3 days in the fridge. Don’t waste your money on pre-chopped versions; they’ve lost their potential.

2. Eat garlic raw. By adding garlic raw at the end of your recipe, instead of cooking with it, you’ll preserve all the anti-cancer properties, says Modem.

Sauteeing garlic at medium temperatures for 2 minutes completely destroyed its ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, Modem discovered (and yes, she let the garlic sit before cooking it.) Boiling garlic also destroyed its anti-cancer benefits, she found. On the other hand, other researchers have found that cooking garlic (microwaving for 60 seconds, cooking it 45 minutes in the oven) partially—but not totally– destroyed its anti-cancer properties, again assuming you let the garlic percolate.

My take on the conflict? Your decision, but in this case—albeit not always—raw’s the safer bet. Of course, if you want to cook garlic because you like the taste of it, you can always increase the anti-cancer benefits by adding some raw garlic at the end of the cooking process.